Spring Jam returns, rebooted with more student involvement and free student tickets.

When this year’s Spring Jam organizers got to planning the University’s end of year extravaganza, they had a problem: “People didn’t like Spring Jam; the truth was people were not enjoying it,” Samantha Howell said, this year’s lead coordinator for Spring Jam.

The team of third-year students – Howell, Abbie Hengel, and Genevieve Krause – had never attended Spring Jam due to a two-year pause of the festival. After reviewing copious Spring Jam feedback and old comment sections, they chose to shift the festival’s format.

“We’re not a music festival, we’re a festival with music,” Howell said.

The focus changed from concert to community; highlighting what’s at the University as opposed to in-demand musical guests. With this shift, it felt natural to have Spring Jam host the Battle of the Bands finale, Howell said.

Party Foul, an indie-alternative rock group, is one of four bands competing in the finale. Composed primarily of first-year students, the band formed through Welcome Week activities.

Guitarist Alex Powell recalls how Battle of the Bands felt “like some faraway thing up until a couple months.” As they prepare for their biggest show to date, the band is churning out new songs on a weekly basis without letting the pressure compromise their process.

“We’re all bringing our same amalgam of fun ideas and lyrics, and puzzle-piecing them together to make fun music,” lead vocalist Abby Vela said.

To complement musical acts, Spring Jam will feature dance performances from student groups such as the Choreo Oreos. Combining multiple dance styles, eight choreographers and 20 dancers, this will be the Choreo Oreos’ first entirely original routine.

“I wanted to bring that creative aspect of originality to our dances, rather than copying off a video,” said Stephanie Ye, president of Choreo Oreos.

As a choreographer, Ye said she feels nervous.

“We’re still working on it every practice,” Ye said. “Our roster keeps changing with availability, so we have to change our formations pretty much every week.”

For some dancers, Spring Jam will be their first time on stage. As an experienced performer, Ye said she is excited to get on stage.

From a genre-diverse lineup of musical acts to dance performances, “we designed Spring Jam to make sure it has a little bit of something for everybody,” Hengel said. And designing for everyone means incorporating everyone — including student groups.

UMN Blockchain will be minting NFTs — yes, you can finally own an NFT — and helping set up crypto wallets.

“A lot of people hear about NFTs on the news, but how many have the chance to experience the technology themselves,” said the club’s president Jin Kuan.

Once you purchase an NFT, your ownership can’t be disputed; that NFT is yours unequivocally. That’s the utility of NFTs — proof of ownership. “Blockchain”, the underlying technology for NFTs and cryptocurrencies, “is as much about finance as it is about technology or even politics,” said Danny Bui, UMN Blockchain’s vice president of communications.

The Psychedelic Education Club will be installing a photo backdrop featuring their logo CNC-machined from plywood, an encircling flower mandala and branded records. Try to spot the Easter eggs scattered throughout their layered arrangement.

“That’s a psychedelic idea for me; the more you look into something, you see greater and deeper complexity. That’s what we’re trying somewhat to build into this photo backdrop,” said co-founder Zane Crabtree.

Hosting more than 20 student groups, Spring Jam “isn’t Coachella, isn’t Lollapalooza, we are a university and it is in a parking lot,” Howell said. “With shifted expectations, we can create an event that is fun, free, accessible and enjoyable for everybody. That’s the real goal this year; that has been the goal since the beginning of planning.”

Student tickets to Spring Jam are free this year. Head to Spring Jam’s website to claim yours.